Jharkhand Gazette, No. 257, 21 May 2024

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THE

JHARKHAND GAZETTE

EXTRAORDINARY

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

19 VAISHAKH 1946 (S)

No. 257

RANCHI, THURSDAY 9th MAY, 2024

JHARKHAND STATE ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION -------- NOTIFICATION 9th May, 2024

Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Group Net Metering and

Virtual Net Metering) Regulations, 2024

Notification no. 100--In exercise of powers conferred under Section 181, read with Sections 86(1)(e)of the Electricity Act, 2003 and all other powers enabling it on that behalf, the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission, hereby frames the following Regulations.

1. Objective

1.1. The Electricity Act, 2003 entrusts on the appropriate Commission, the responsibility of promotion of co-generation and generation based on renewable energy sources. The policy framework of the Government of India also stresses on the encouragement of renewable energy sources keeping in view the need for energy security of the country.

1.2. The Commission in order to achieve the objectives under the Jharkhand State Solar Policy 2022 and in exercise of powers conferred under Section 181, read with Sections 86(1)(e) of the Electricity Act, 2003 and all other powers enabling it on that behalf, the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission, hereby makes the following Regulations.

2. Short Title and Commencement

2.1. These Regulations may be called the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Group Net Metering and Virtual Net Metering) Regulations, 2024.

2.2. These Regulations shall extend to the State of Jharkhand.

2.3. These Regulations shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Jharkhand State Government Gazette.

3. Definitions and Interpretation

3.1. In this Regulation unless the context otherwise requires:

a) 'Act'shall mean the Electricity Act, 2003 and subsequent amendments thereof;

b) 'Commission'shall mean the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC);

c) 'Eligible Consumer'shall means a consumer(s) of electricity in the area of supply of the Distribution Licensee, who uses a self-owned or third party owned solar power project, to offset part or all of the consumer's own electricity requirements.

d) 'Premises'shall mean and includes roof-tops or any areas on the land, building or infrastructure or part or combination thereof in respect of which a separate meter has been provided by the Distribution Licensee;

e) 'Group Net Metering'shall meanan arrangement wherebysurplus energy generated/injected from a Renewable Energy System or Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) charged through Renewable Energy System is exported to the grid through Net Meter and the exported energy is adjusted in more than one electricity service connection(s) of the same consumer located within the same distribution licensee's area of supply;

f) 'Virtual Net Metering'shall mean an arrangement whereby the entire energy generated/injected from a Renewable Energy System or Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) charged through a Renewable Energy System is exported to the grid from a gross meter and the energy exported is adjusted in more than one electricity service connection(s) of participating consumers located within the same distribution licensee's area of supply;

g) 'Third party owner' shall mean a developer who is generating solar energy on a rooftop but does not own the rooftop but enters into a lease / commercial agreement with the rooftop owner. In case of gross metering arrangement owned by third party, he shall also enter into an agreement with the Distribution Licensee. However, if a consumer installs rooftop solar PV system in his premises through a third party and wishes to avail net metering facility, then only the eligible consumer shall enter into an agreement with the Licensee;

h) 'Settlement Period' shall mean financial year.

3.2. Words and expressions used in these Regulations and not defined herein but defined in the Act shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Act.

3.3. Reference to any Act, Rules, and Regulations shall include the amendment(s), consolidation(s), or re-enactment(s) thereof.

3.4. All proceedings under these Regulations shall be governed by the JSERC (Conduct of Business) Regulations, 2016, as amended or re-enacted from time to time.

4. General & Applicability

4.1. Group Net Metering Framework and Virtual Net Metering Framework shall be applicable to alleligible consumers in the State of Jharkhand.

Provided that consumers with pending arrears with the Distribution Licensee shall not be treated as eligible consumers under these Regulations.

4.2. The provision for providing land space shall be governed as per provisions of JSERC (Electricity Supply Code) Regulations, 2015, as amended from time to time and Orders issued there under.

4.3. The Distribution licensee shall carry out a detailed technical study for the impact of renewable energy system installed on the distribution system in respect of grid voltage & frequency imbalance, harmonics, and technical losses, etc., in its area of supply and submit the report to the Commission within Six months from the date of issue of these Regulations.

5. Consumer Application and Registration

5.1. The consumer(s)/ applicant(s) shall submit an application for Group Net Metering or Virtual Net Metering in the prescribed format by the Distribution Licensee along with a non-refundable fee as decided by the Licensee for feasibility analysis. The consumer can download the application form from the website of the distribution licensee.

6. Technical Feasibility Analysis

6.1. Distribution Licensee shall carry out the technical feasibility analysis based on the furnished information in the application submitted by the eligible consumer.

6.2. The DISCOM shall review whether, the proposed Rooftop Solar Plant satisfies the requisite technical standards of CEA/MNRE/ DISCOM/JSERC especially with respect to inverter specifications, penetration levels, safety aspects like anti-islanding and protection devices, etc. or not. This analysis shall be carried out within7 working days from the date of submission of application.

6.3. DISCOM shall accord feasibility approval to consumers on a first come first serve basis.

7. Connection Agreement

7.1. The Eligible consumers and the Distribution Company shall enter into an agreement that specifies the technical information, commercial arrangement and the clear roles and responsibilities of all the concerned stakeholders within 30 days of issuing technical feasibility analysis.

7.2. If Agreement is not entered by the Eligible Consumer, application is deemed to be cancelled.

7.3. The plant shall be installed within Six months from the date of Agreement.

7.4. In case of any delay beyond Sixmonths, DISCOM may provide the time extension on case-to-case basis, after which the agreement shall be deemed to be terminated.

8. Metering Arrangement

8.1. Distribution Licensee shall install Renewable Energy meter(s) at Generation point(s) which shall facilitate remote meter reading as under clause A9 of JSERC (Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems and Net/Gross Metering) Regulations, 2015, as amended from time to time and orders issued thereunder.

8.2. Cost of the Net Meter (which is capable of recording both the import and export of electricity) shall be borne by the consumer.

9. Procedure for billing and energy accounting under Group Net Metering

Framework:-

The details of Energy Accounting and Settlement that shall be followed are given below:

9.1 Where the export of units during any billing period exceeds the import of units at the connection where Renewable Energy system is located, such surplus units injected into the grid shall be adjusted against the energy consumed in the monthly bill of service connection(s) in a sequence indicated in the priority list along with sharing ratio provided by the consumer.

9.2 The sequence of priority for adjustment shall be deemed to have begun after adjustment of units at the service connection where Renewable Energy Project is located;

9.3 The priority list along with the share ratio for adjustment of the balance surplus energy against other electricity connection(s) may be revised by the Consumer once at the beginning of every financial year with an advance notice of two months;

9.4 The electricity consumption in any time block (e.g., peak hours, off-peak hours, etc.) shall be first compensated with the electricity generation in similar time blocks in the same billing cycle of the consumer where the Renewable Energy project is located and any surplus units injected shall be adjusted against the energy consumed in the monthly bill of service connection(s) in a sequence indicated in the priority list and in accordance with the ratio provided by the consumer, as if the surplus generation/ Energy Credits occurred during the off-peak time block for Time of Day (ToD) consumers and normal time block for Non-ToD consumer.

9.5 Where during any billing period the export of units either in Non-ToD or ToD Tariff exceeds the import of units by the electricity service connection(s), such surplus units injected by the consumer shall be carried forward to the next billing period as energy credit and shown as energy exported by the consumer for adjustment against the energy consumed in subsequent billing periods within the settlement period in the ratio indicated in the priority list.

9.6 For the purpose of carry forward of surplus or set off of energy credits, the energy units shall be moderated as per the relevant rebate/surcharge percentage of the ToD tariff applicable for the relevant financial year. Any surplus generation over consumption in any time block in a billing cycle shall be accounted as if the surplus generation/ Energy Credits occurred during the off-peak time block for ToD consumers and normal time block for Non-ToD consumers.

9.7 At the end of each settlement period, any electricity credit which remain unadjusted, such excess electricity shall be accounted for and paid by the Distribution licensee to the consumer at a rate approved by the Commission in Distribution licensee latest tariff Order of the applicable year and shall be reset to zero at the beginning of each settlement period.

10. Procedure for billing and energy accounting under Virtual Net Metering

Framework: -

The details of Energy Accounting and Settlement that shall be followed are given below:

10.1 The energy generated from Renewable Energy System shall be credited in the monthly electricity bill of each participating connection(s) as per the ratio of procurement from Renewable Energy System indicated under agreement/MoU entered by the consumer(s).

10.2 The consumer(s) shall have the option to change the share of the credit of electricity from the Renewable Energy System subject to the ratio of procurement from the Renewable Energy System indicated under the agreement/ MoU entered by the consumer(s) once in the financial year with an advance notice of two months.

10.3 Where the Service connection of any participating consumers(s) is disconnected due to any reason under any law for the time being in force, the unadjusted units/remaining credits of that consumer(s) shall be paid or adjusted in the payable amount with other bill by the distribution licensee at a rate approved by the Commission in Distribution licensee latest tariff Order at the end of the financial year.

10.4 The electricity consumption in any time block (e.g., peak hours, off-peak hours, etc.) shall be first compensated with the electricity generation in similar time blocks in the same billing cycle of the participating consumer(s). Any surplus generation over consumption in any time block in a billing cycle shall be accounted as if the surplus generation/Energy Credits have occurred during the off-peak time blocks.

10.5 Where the units credited during any billing period of any participating consumer exceeds the import of units by that consumer, such surplus credited units shall be carried forward in the next billing period as energy credits for adjustment against the energy consumed in subsequent billing periods within the settlement period of each participating consumer(s).

10.6 For the purpose of carry forward of surplus or set off of energy credits, the energy units shall be moderated as per the relevant rebate/surcharge percentage of the ToD tariff applicable for the relevant year.

10.7 At the end of each settlement period, any electricity credits which remain unadjusted, such excess electricity shall be accounted for and paid by the Distribution licensee to the consumer at a rate approved by the Commission in Distribution licensee latest tariff Order of the applicable year and shall be reset to zero at the beginning of each settlement period.

11. Theft and Tampering of Meter(s)

11.1. Theft of electricity and tampering of meter(s) shall be as per clause A11 of the JSERC (Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems and Net/Gross Metering) Regulations, 2015, as amended from time to time and Orders issued there under

12. Inspection

DISCOM Officials reserve the right to inspect the Renewable Energy System or Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) charged through a Renewable Energy System routine at any time during the term of the Agreement. As part of the inspection, DISCOM officials must ensure that the following aspects are checked:

12.1. All protective equipment of the Renewable Energy System or Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) charged through a Renewable Energy System is functioning as per specifications.

12.2. The Renewable Energy System or Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) charged through a Renewable Energy System including panels, inverters, etc. continue to meet the requirements of Indian & IEC standards post installation till completion ofconnection agreement.

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1. Any dispute in billing shall be as per the JSERC (Guidelines for establishment of forum for redressed of Grievances of the Consumers Electricity Ombudsman and Consumer Advocacy) Regulations, 2020as amended from time to time.

14. Applicability of Other Charges

14.1. The Renewable Energy System commissioned under JSERC (Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems and Net/Gross Metering) Regulations, 2015, as well as these Regulations, shall be exempted from payment of wheeling charges, banking charges, cross-subsidy charges, and any other charge(s), as per clause 8.2.5 of the Jharkhand State Solar Policy, 2022 and as decided by the Commission by order upon prudence check on case to case basis.

15. Renewable Purchase Obligation

15.1. The quantum of electricity generated under JSERC (Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems and Net/Gross Metering) Regulations, 2015, as well as these Regulationsshall qualify for compliance with the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) for the distribution licensee if the Renewable Energy Generator is not an obligated entity.

16. Eligibility to Participate under Renewable Energy Certificate Mechanism

16.1. Eligibility to Participate under Renewable Energy Certificate Mechanism shall be as per clause A13 of JSERC (Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems and Net/Gross Metering) Regulations, 2015, as amended from time to time and Orders issued there under.

17. Power to Remove Difficulties

17.1. If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of these Regulations, the Commission may, by general or specific order, give directions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Act, as may appear to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of removing difficulties.

18. Power to amend

18.1. The Commission may from time to time add, vary, alter, modify or amend any provisions of these Regulations after following the necessary procedures.

19. Interpretation

19.1. The decision of the Commission regarding the interpretation of these Regulations shall be final and binding.

By Order of the Commission.

R.P.Nayak, Secretary

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Printed & Published by the Superintendent of Jharkhand Government Press, Doranda, Ranchi. Jharkhand Gazette (Extraordinary) 257-- 50.